DANGERS OF ELECTRICITY.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3379, 20 June 1927, Page 8

DANGERS OF ELECTRICITY.

ADVICE TO HOUiSEHOLDEIIS

Tho electrical authorities have occasion from time to time to restrain householders wile desire to employ on their electric heaters lengths ol ilex that are suiiicient to permit of the use of tiie apparatus in practically any paid of (lie house without installing more than one heating point. To the average man who knows little or nothing oi electricity or of the dangers associated with its careless or improper use, it .seems somewhat puzzling that there should he any objection to what appears to be an not 'unreasonable use of an electric heater.

Tiie reason why the lengths of Ilex arc limited is that in the opinion of the authorities there is a distinct danger m the employment oi unlimited lengths. The safe (or safest) method of placing electric wires m a. building lias been defined by the authorities concerned — the Govei/nment, the local authorities ami the underwriters-—on the following hues: —Tiie wire that carries r.iie car

rent shall be covered with insulating rubber and the insulated wire shall then bo placed in a metal conduit. The reason for tiie prohibition of a lengthy fix (flexible insulated wire) for an electric heater is that the power carried by the wire is .suiiicient, .should the insulation got injured, to caust a spark capable ol setting lire to clothing or to the premises themselves.

Gases wore cited by Air E. .Hitchcock. general manager of the Christchurch AiunicipaJ Electricity Department, says the Lyttelton Times, where people had used suiiicient Ilex to permit tiie use of a heater in any room in the house from one heating point, there is a considerable danger of a iie;\ so employed being jammed in doorways, with resultant damage to the insulation and the possibility of lire. Such a method, said Mr Hitchcock, defeated the whole object of the provision that wiring within a house must be carried in a conduit. But to strike a reasonable balance as to what length of ilex should he permitted was, he admitted, a difficult matter, as ob-

vionsly what would serve Hie purpose in a small house with small rooms ■.tonal not meet the reasonable requirements of a large place, where the rooms were much larger. In a small house ten or twelve, feet ol flex might be ail that was required to permit Die room in which the heating point was situated, or it might permit ol it being taken from a plug in the hall to

any room in tlie house. in the latter case, it would mean that the flex was taken through doorways with the subsequent dangers that such a proceeding entails. ’But in a large house, such a length of flex might not be

sufficient to permit the use of the heater in al! parts of the room in which the plug itself was situated. The circumstances in each particular case govern the length of ilex that is approved. •'Our aim,” said Mr Hitchcock, “is to encourage people to avoid the use of excessive lengths of flex, especially with radiators, which use much more current than do vacuum cleaners. it is safer to coniine the use of the radiator to the room iu which the. plug

is situated.” Mr Hitchcock said there were two or three quite definite disadvantages in making use of the light socket in a room fyr a vacuum cleaner or for some similar purposes. For one thing, a householder did not like to have to climb on a chair to remove the light hull) and insert the socket of the (-leaner flex and -then reverse the process when the cleaning was finished. At the same time, this operalion involved llio risk of the lamp being broken. Another objection was that such a proceeding placed a fargreater strain on the iighl Ilex than it was designed to carry. Normally iho lamp 'lex is still, but when a vacuum cleaner is attached it is pulled about, while there is also imposed upon it Cue added strain of the weight of I lie cleaner Ilex. Mr Hitchcocks pointed out that where- such use of light sockets was illustrated iu advertisements it was the screw type of socket that, was intended to be used and not ihe bayonet type that is common in New Zealand. A very definite swing away haul taken place, be said.

from (he use of light sockets in this way bi favor of inducing people to wire their premises adequately. -Adequate Wiring.-

Dealing with the subject of wiring Mr Hitchcock said that it was important that people should see that tlicii premises were adequately wired in the first instance. Especially was the precaution necessary between the

vitchhoard and the entrance to the mM. Very often people had installed

,i this point wiring only .heavy enough uleqnaioly to carry the load that it .vas p"o|v>sed to use at xhe outset. !,iifcr. when radiators.’ vacuum clean-

ers and perhaps electric cookers were added, it- was found that the wiring from the entrance to the switchboard ’.vas insufficient to carry the load. In such cases, it was very often found that not only was the wire too light, lint the enndnil was too small to admit the size of wire necessary. Both had there onto be scrapped am! replaced with a correspondingly added expenditure. In connection with these matters.

said .Mr .! Idtchcock. the three groups interested in electrical wiring in New /“•a lain! recently lead before them a proposal for combining in an advertising campaign. Their recommendations included the necessity for at least one ping in o',-cry room with a view to increasing tiie use of portable apparatus.

more particularly sweepers, heaters and portable lights. Included in the information submitted in this connection wore particulars of how houses were mtrticubirs orotß.J I’rpTsoa dfid Inn being; wired in the I'nited State'-. In

"m* house i 1 1 v.> were only seven rooms >'ni! the loti! points installed was 10. In thy average hotel rooms in {lie lrnit'■'l States thorn were* rarely fewer than hve point.--. which was in strikin'!; con--1 ra-!■ to the heat liotols in \«*w Zea- ! ! Ill] <■’niiloviii;.* outside ar-pa: at-ns that was i;d!*inl« d for inside use. ; ::d ipioled inCii'oo w 1 *<*:•■.* very gra*. e rh-ks had

''"■cn ran by_ householders through mil knowing or ignoring tin- dan .• -r. it i'a r Dm: hi rly ('a ng'.voi! >. he said, lo me ou! side forfhe pin-pose of '; :, i t"! that was in genera! use m -

'•■■‘•i "he hiOditv. The fact was mi'iiJ 'em lo eo-.pPasise l!*e necessil \ for hei'ere iiderferim.; wit!: eh .tra a! apuli■"""m or pniting Diem to esc other I hani lin 1 for which ! h■•*• wen* intendtine of ' the most original wedding

orcscnls was tlia 1 which was given hv 'lie Dnehcs-: id fiamdion to 5r {'. F. O'icinios!) on Ins marriage in her <la noli ter. Lady Jean Dongias-Hamil-Imo it consisted ol a sehoni in *.■• ! >ir-fi Mr Macintosh, who has already had some experience as a teacher, will

mn- a head master. I.adv .Lam ami her si- ter, Lady Margaret DouglasMamiiton, are famed for their prowess in 'he hunling field. Their hrollier, i*' no! < lydesda le. is known in the world a- ”t!i e hovinn! arpuis.” and it was through him that Lady Jean met her fiance.